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“And Skutter has a satellite phone with him?”
“Yes, sir.”
“How long until his bus arrives?” Hanley asked.
“Four to five hours,” Kasim said.
“I’ll wait until he arrives to call him, but we think we know where the charges were placed at the Prophet’s Mosque.”
The bus was just pulling up.
“My bus is here,” Kasim said. “What do you want us to do?”
“You’ll be met by a CIA contact in Mecca and taken to a safe house,” Hanley said. “I’ll call you there.”
“Got it.”
PETE JONES LOOKED over to the emir of Qatar. “Your Excellency,” he said, “how are your relations with the Bahrainis?”
“Great,” the emir said, “they are dear friends.”
“Can you have trucks waived through customs without any problems?”
“I’m sure I can.”
“Do you have a cargo ship available that can pick them up at the port in Bahrain?”
The emir stared over at his aide, al-Thani.
“I’ll arrange one here or in Bahrain immediately,” al-Thani said.
“We have about six hours before everything needs to be in place,” Jones said.
“It shall be done, Mr. Jones,” the emir said. “It shall be done.”
INSIDE THE FENCED cargo area alongside Riyadh Airport, U.S. Army Warrant Officer Patrick Colgan and his team were still awaiting instructions. They had spent three nights hiding under the containers, eating from their food supplies and drinking their bottled water. Now supplies were running low on both, and the containers around them that gave them cover were growing thinner and thinner.
Something needed to happen—and happen quickly.
JONES STUDIED THE file taken from Al-Sheik’s PDA, then reached for the telephone.
“Sir,” he said when the phone was answered, “have you received any changes to the shipping time for the cargo containers?”
“No changes,” Hanley said.
“Okay, then,” Jones said, “I’ve got the out.”
Hanley listened while Jones explained.
“I like it,” Hanley said, “simple and sweet.”
“I’m cleared?”
“Do it,” Hanley said.
THE AREA AROUND the three shipping containers where the men were hiding was gradually being cleared. There was still a scattering of containers to the left, but to the right was only bare sand and gravel.
